We use our gluteal muscles A LOT! The Glut Max is the largest muscle in the body.
We use them to walk, we sit on them and they help to stabilize our hips.
The 4 main ‘gluteal muscles are:
Gluteus Maximus – the largest of the three, responsible for strength and extending the hip. A real power producer!
Gluteus Medius – positioned on the side of the hip & mainly responsible for stabilizing the hip region.
Gluteus Minimus – lies underneath the gluteus medius and assists with both stabilization and movement.
Pirformis – Externally rotate the hip at the thigh.
Together these muscles are very powerful and play an important role in posture and gait (how we walk).
The 2 most common reasons we get pain in our glutes are:
- They are overused and develop tightness & building up of Trigger points which can result in referred pain.
- The muscles have switched off and become weak & lazy and don’t do their job properly.
PROBLEM
This can cause a number of problems for us including:
Back pain – The muscles in our back have to pick up the slack and work harder to accommodate for the lack of work being done by the gluteal muscles.
Tight hamstrings – again, these muscles have to pick up the slack and become overused.
Muscular imbalance – can result in pelvic tilts which may lead to extra pressure on the surrounding joints. Adductors on the opposite side may also be dysfunctional and cause the pelvis to imbalance.
SOLUTION
What are the solutions to these problems you ask?
Well, there needs to be a balance between treating/stretching the muscles and strengthening them so they function properly again.
Your Myotherapist or Remedial massage therapist at Eclipse Therapies may use treatment techniques such as:
- Myofascial release
- Deep Tissue Massage
- Trigger Point Therapy
- Dry Needling
- Taking you through some Active/Passive Stretches
- Exercise Prescription
Suffer no longer, book in NOW and allow use to assess and address the issues that are holding you back from performing at your peak. We look forward to seeing you soon.